


Unexpected places

by jjjat3am



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:35:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjjat3am/pseuds/jjjat3am
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU</p>
<p>Steve is the captain of the baseball team, student body president and leader of the chess club. Thor is the exchange student from Norway. </p>
<p>Bucky just wishes they’d get their heads out of their asses and kiss already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected places

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kelark59](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelark59/gifts).



> Written for the lovely [siriuslyscrewedup](http://siriuslyscrewedup.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. Now, I never thought I'd write a high school au, but now that I have, I find out I quite like it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Steve was deeply immersed in scribbling down his notes, as his English teacher droned on about Richard III, when the door to the classroom opened and the vice-principal poped her head in to call his name.

 

“I’ll just borrow Mr. Rogers for a little while, if that’s okay, we’re getting an exchange student in from Norway, and I need our most capable student to show them around!”

 

Steve scrambled to pick up his things, trying to hide his blush as Bucky snickered from the seat next to his.

 

“Hey, Steve, don’t forget to introduce her to me, if she’s looking for an American experience.” He waggled his eyebrows and Steve rolled his eyes at him as he went past.

 

He followed the excitable vice-principal down the hall, trying to remember exactly where Norway stood on the map of the world. All he could think of was reindeer and that weird death metal band Bucky listened to.

 

“…we have to make an impression on the Norwegian school so these exchanges can continue, so I’m asking you, as the Student Body president, captain of the baseball team and captain of the chess team, to represent our school as well as you possibly can.” She beamed at him and he smiled back cautiously, intimidated, but beginning to share her enthusiasm.

 

He’s opening his mouth to ask her a question when they rounded the corner and he ran smack dab into a brick wall.

 

The brick wall turned out to be a person, who reached out to steady him when he wobbled unevenly from the impact.

 

“I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t see you there.” From anyone else, Steve would have thought it an empty boast, but the stranger was built like a tree, standing taller and broader than even Steve’s admittedly impressive physique.

 

His eyes are an almost electric shade of blue and Steve suddenly really wanted to trace the outline of his jaw on paper with his pencils. As he watched him, the other boy reached up to tuck a few stray hairs behind his ear.

 

The vice-principal’s voice shook him out of his reverie and he turned away from the stranger, trying to unsuccessfully repress a hot blush, cursing his pale complexion.

 

“…I see we’ve found him already! Steve, this is Thor, our exchange student from Norway. He shares most of your classes and I’m counting on you to help him adjust.” Steve nodded and reached out his hand to shake.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Thor. Welcome to America.” Thor’s grip was strong and his palm was warm. When they broke apart, his fingers were tingling, and it wasn’t a circulation issue either.

 

 

“Thank you, friend Steve. It’s good to be here. I’ve heard many great things of this wondrous country.” Thor’s English was just barely accented, though some of his speech sounded archaic, like he’d learnt it from fantasy books. He was watching Steve closely and Steve found himself flustered and gripping for focus under the attention.

 

“I hope we won’t disappoint then.” They were already ignoring the vice-principal, who was watching the exchange with a knowing smirk.

 

“Nothing has been disappointing so far, my friend.” There was something in Thor’s gaze that made Steve heat up from the inside out and he knew he must be turning a furious red under the attention. Thank god Bucky wasn’t there to see him; he’d never hear the end of it. 

 

They headed down the corridor, talking about Thor’s experiences so far and comparing schedules. Their shoulders brushed against each other as they walked.

The vice-principal watched them go with a bemused smirk. It’s like they forgot she existed entirely.

 

*

 

It doesn’t take long until Thor is a permanent fixture in Steve’s life. They meet up at school, where Thor’s host family drops him off every day and they go to class together, occasionally accompanied by Bucky. It had surprised Steve how easily his best friend took to Thor. When Steve introduced them, he expected Bucky to do his over-protective shtick, as he was prone to when people he didn’t know got too close to Steve. Instead, he looked back and forth between them for a bit and watched Thor a little bit too intensely, before clapping a hand on his back and grinning.

 

“You know, Thor is a really good guy.” He said to Steve a few days later, looking at him expectantly.

 

“I know, he’s pretty awesome. He’s coming over tonight for movie night, can you believe he’s never seen Saving Private Ryan?”

 

“Sure.” Bucky kept looking at him strangely. “So, is it a date?” Steve lost his grip on the textbooks and they crashed to the floor with a bang. Steve hurled himself down to pick them up like they were a dropped grenade, frantically trying to come up with an answer.

 

“Why would you say that!” he hissed when Bucky handed him his Biology textbook. Then his tone turned subdued. “He’s not gay.”

 

“Have you asked him?” Bucky arched an eyebrow.

 

“No! Of course I haven’t, that would be weird!” Bucky watched him shuffle the books in his arms and sighed in frustration.

 

“Look, you know you’re not that skinny guy from middle school anymore, right? You’ve got my support, always, and honestly, by now I’ve taught you how to take a punch. What’s the harm in being true to yourself? You’re always harping on about it, but I don’t see you living it.” Steve opened his mouth with an angry report, but stopped himself at how sad Bucky looked.

 

“It’s not easy, Buck.” Steve said softly.

 

“I know. Just think about it, okay? At least it’ll keep the girls from getting angry with you when you turn them down.” Steve managed a weak laugh at that and Bucky put a hand on his shoulder to draw him into a hug. “I’m sorry I keep pressuring you about it. I just want you to find someone that will make you happy, okay?” Steve nodded against his shoulder.

 

A cough broke them apart. Thor was looking at them solemnly from the mouth of the hallway, his overnight bag clutched in one hand, books in the other.

 

Bucky broke the silence with a jovial “Well, see you guys later! Bring Thor to baseball practice tomorrow, we’ll make a genuine American out of him yet!”, before disappearing around the corner. Steve turned to Thor who’d watched Bucky go with an unreadable expression.

 

“That wasn’t…I mean…that wasn’t what it looked like!” Steve burst out finally.

 

“I know, friend Steve. I have a brother too.” They walked out the school side by side, Steve listening to Thor recounting stories about his mercurial younger brother and occasionally interjecting with his own, about adventures with Bucky when they were younger.

 

By the time they reached Steve’s house there were tears of laughter in their eyes.

 

*

 

They do end up on the baseball pitch on Saturday, warming up with the rest of the baseball club. The coach called Steve over for some lineup changes, so he left Thor with Bucky and Clint, their star pitcher. They looked benevolent enough, but you could never tell with those two.

 

When he came back, Thor had already been outfitted with a bat and was listening solemnly to Bucky who seemed to be animatedly explaining the proper stance and rules.

 

“…so what you’re saying, my friend, is that I must simply hit the ball friend Clint throws my way, as hard as I possibly can with this stick?” Thor was asking Bucky when Steve rushed up to the plate where they were standing.

 

“I…yeah, that’s pretty much it. Go get it buddy.” Bucky answered, a bit bemused by his precious aluminum bat being called a stick.

 

“Wait a minute, do we really think this is a good idea-,” “I’ll throw him an easy ball, just come on!” Clint broke in, setting into position.

 

Steve sighed and backed away, still worried. Clint was probably one of the best pitchers in the league and Thor had never played before…

 

Clint let the ball lose and Thor hit it with the bat and the ball disappeared far, far over the horizon.

 

“Damn.” Clint whistled. “Can we keep him?”

 

Steve watched as Thor turned around, biceps flexing as he hefted the bat to rest on his shoulders, and smiled brilliantly at him, sunlight catching the gold in his hair.

 

_‘Yes, please.’_ He thought, only to choke on his spit a moment later when he realized the track his thoughts were taking.

 

“Rogers! Is your asthma coming back?” Bucky called out worriedly from the other side of the field and Thor came over to pat him comfortingly on the back as he coughed.

 

*

 

The problem isn’t that Steve didn’t know he was gay. In fact, he’d known since Junior High, when a senior named Sam Wilson had taken off his shirt and Steve got an asthma attack.

 

It’s not even like he was hiding it. His mother knew and Bucky, obviously, but nobody else at school, except Natasha, who knew everything. And sure, Bucky nagged at him for not getting the right high school experience, but Steve just didn’t see the point of being with a guy just for a week and then never talking again.

 

It’s just that, before, there hadn’t been anyone in the school that had really caught his attention. Steve wasn’t ashamed or afraid…he was just waiting for the right partner.

 

And then Thor had come along, with his blue eyes and kind grin, looking at Steve like he wasn’t just the captain of the baseball team or the chess club, but like he was genuinely interesting and funny and smart. Thor made Steve feel good about being himself.

 

Of course, there was also the fact that Steve’s sketch book had been filling up with Thor’s mouth and hands and jawline, traced onto paper in bits and pieces, because Steve was too afraid that the full picture would show him something he wasn’t willing to see just yet.

 

*

 

Then one day Thor came to school unusually subdued. There was no trace of the usual sunny grin and he looked worn down and worried. Steve watched him through the day, futilely trying to engage him in conversation and when that failed, sitting in silence.

 

They brushed against each other on the way to Steve’s house and while usually he would be savoring the contact, all he feels is concern over how tense Thor’s shoulders are and how closed off his expression.

 

Steve seated him on his bed and sat crossed legged next to him, waiting. When Thor still didn’t say a thing, he decided on a more proactive approach.

 

“Thor?” he put his hand on Thor’s forearm, rousing him from his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

 

Thor sighed.

 

“My brother, he…he has a new boyfriend.”

 

“Okay.” said Steve carefully “And is that what’s bothering you?”

 

“It’s just that he says it’s someone older and he implied that he was quite wealthy as well, but he won’t tell me his name or where he met him. I’m just worried.” He looked up to Steve’s tense expression. “Oh. Were you asking me if I had a problem with him being bisexual?”

 

His face was expressionless and Steve hurried to shake his head.

 

“No, I just…-” “Because that would be very hypocritical of me, since I prefer men.”

 

“Oh.” Steve was avoiding Thor’s eyes, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate over the fact that ‘Holy shit, he might have a chance!’.

 

He pulled himself together to think about the problem, because Thor still looks so anxious and hurt, and he has to try to make it better.

 

“Maybe this is his way of asking you to trust him to know what’s best for himself?” Thor looked like he’s considering it and Steve continued “Instead of immediately working yourself into a frenzy over someone he wants to be with, you should try to be supportive and let him come to you. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. In the meantime, you’re just going to have to trust him.”

 

Thor swallowed and nodded, and Steve squeezed his forearm comfortingly. “I’ll try.”

 

“Okay.” Steve smiled and nudged him. “Hey, it’ll be okay.” For the first time that day, Thor smiled back.

 

They sat in silence for a few moments, but it’s not the tense one from before.

 

“Hey, Thor.” Steve cleared his throat. “I…me too.” Thor raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

“I mean, I’m gay.”

 

“Oh.” More silence. Less comfortable.

 

“Steve?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day I met you.”

 

Steve looked up from where his hand was still on Thor’s arm and Thor was honest to god beaming at him with his brightest grin and Steve didn’t know where the fuck he should put his hands and…

 

“Me too. I mean…I kind of want to kiss you all the time.” He confessed in a rush, cursing his pale complexion yet again when he feels the heat suffuse his cheeks.

 

He felt Thor’s hand on his jaw, just the ghost of a touch, but enough to tip his head up to receive just the barest press of Thor’s lips.

 

They exchanged kisses for a while, and it was almost painfully awkward because Steve had no idea where to put his hands and their noses kept bumping, causing them to laugh nervously into the kiss, but it’s sweet too, and warm where Thor’s hands were resting on his cheek and the dip of his back.

 

Slowly, their kisses grew more confident and explorative, and they tipped from their positions, onto the bed. Laid out on their sides, they were able to press closer to each other and touch.

 

A few hours later, Steve woke up with his mouth pressed against Thor’s collarbone, squinting against the red sunrays already receding from the room. Thor’s arm was a warm weight settled over his side and back, and he could feel his shirt sticking against his back a little, because they’re still fully clothed and Steve runs hot normally, but with Thor pressed against him the room felt like a furnace. He didn’t want to move though, watching Thor’s eyelashes twitch as he sleeps and the calming movement of his chest. Steve settled back to memorize him just like this, because he was sure a drawing would never do him justice, but he’s going to try anyway.

 

Then Thor’s eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes, disoriented. When he saw Steve, he smiled and Steve decided he wants to draw that too.

 

As he leaned in to kiss him, he was pretty sure he wanted to draw Thor in a million different ways and in a million different settings just so he could immortalize the slope of his shoulders, the intensity of his eyes, and the curve of his smile…

 

Thor skimmed his hand down his side and murmured sleepy endearments against Steve’s lips and Steve knew to enjoy it, because some things can never be drawn on paper and this? _This_ is his.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on[tumblr](http://jjjat3am.tumblr.com/), we can cry over fictional characters together


End file.
